16 Ngauruhoe Street, Newton, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Eden Campus Early Learning Centre is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Eden Campus Early Learning Centre is licensed to provide full-day education and care for up to 30 children, including up to 25 under two years of age. The centre operates under the governance of the Further Chance Charitable Trust. In the same building, the children's mothers are enrolled in secondary education programmes provided by the Eden Campus Teen Parent Unit. Children attend the service for the time their mothers participate in the programme.
The centre caters for two age-related groups. Children under one year of age have a dedicated indoor area and teacher. All children often spend time in mixed-age play. Currently the roll is small, and most children attending are up to three years of age.
The centre's philosophy promotes care for children in a stimulating, respectful environment. Valued outcomes include providing a learning environment that supports children to be curious and confident risk takers.
Since the 2015 ERO report there have been changes in staff. The long-serving head teacher has resigned and a new teacher appointed. The trust has introduced a dual approach to leadership. Two staff members co-lead the service, and have oversight of the day-to-day operations of the centre. Two of the three teachers are qualified.
The 2015 ERO report identified next steps for improvement relating to appraisal processes and information communication technologies (ICT). Some good progress has been made to improve appraisal processes.
Children and their families are warmly welcomed to the centre. Relationships are based on acceptance, sensitivity and manaakitanga. Teachers' interactions with children and families are friendly and respectful. Secure, child-teacher-family relationships promote the development of children's sense of pride. Families are highly valued members of the centre, and feel comfortable to stay and settle their child.
Teachers engage in one-to-one responsive interactions with children. They respectfully offer infants and toddlers choices, and wait for their responses. Teachers recognise that consistency and continuity are important to establish a foundation for young children's education and care. They maintain a calm, slow pace in which younger children have space and time to lead their learning.
Processes are in place to plan and assess children's learning. Attractive records show children's participation in the programme, and highlight their interests. Teachers are considering how they might better plan and document children's individual learning and milestones. This could provide teachers with an opportunity to focus on intentional teaching practices that support children's progress over time.
A responsive curriculum is fostered and supports children to be proud of their culture. Learning experiences acknowledge and celebrate children’s heritages and languages. Tikanga Māori routines and practices are promoted, and clearly reflect the bicultural foundation of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.
Teachers seek and value parent/whānau contributions to planning and learning experiences. Teachers work collaboratively and responsively to achieve parent/whānau priorities and aspirations. They could now build on these learning partnerships by increasing parents' role in their child's learning.
Teachers participate regularly in relevant professional learning and development to improve their practice. This has had a positive impact on improving aspects of governance and management. The new appraisal system supports teachers to inquire into the effectiveness of their own practice.
Centre operations are guided by a comprehensive policy framework, and there is a regular cycle of policy review. It is now timely that the new teaching team establish shared expectations and understandings of internal evaluation. This could support the team to review the centre's philosophy, long-term plans, and inform the future direction to improve outcomes for children.
Key next steps include:
making planning more visible for children and families, and documenting individual learning and development over time
strengthening learning partnerships with mothers and whānau
reviewing and updating the centre vision, mission, philosophy and strategic plan.
Before the review, the staff and management of Eden Campus Early Learning Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
11 April 2019
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
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Location |
Mt Eden, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10387 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
5 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 4 Girls 1 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
1 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:8 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
February 2019 |
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Date of this report |
11 April 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
April 2012 |
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Education Review |
March 2009 |
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ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Eden Campus Early Learning Centre in Mt Eden operates under the governance of the Further Chance Charitable Trust. The centre is licensed for 30 children with up to 25 under the age of two years. The majority of the children attending the centre are less than four years of age. Their mothers continue secondary education in the same building through the Eden Campus Teen Parent Unit. Children attend the centre for the time their mothers are in school.
The supervisor leads the teaching team and manages the day-to-day operation of the centre. There is a close relationship with the Teen Parent Unit and mothers frequently visit their children during the day. Trust Board members provide governance services to the centre. Regular meetings of the Trust Board ensure that members are kept up to date with what happens in the centre.
The centre philosophy is that teachers will include the values of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori tikanga in learning programmes. Programmes are also based on parents’ aspirations for their children. Children and parents come from the wider Auckland area and, like the teachers, have a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.
Children play in two separate age-related areas and share the outdoor space. Children’s food is prepared by staff on site.
The 2012 ERO report found that the centre provided good quality care and education for children. It noted the close and supportive relationships that teachers had established with mothers. Children demonstrated a strong sense of belonging and confidence. They were supported to be independent through respectful conversations and the positive encouragement of teachers. These features continue to define the centre’s relationships with children and families.
Children and whānau are warmly welcomed at the start of their day. Whānau often stay for long periods playing with their children and talking to teachers. The relaxed and confident nature of these conversations indicates that there is a high level of trust between whānau and teachers. Children display a strong sense of wellbeing in the company of teachers and settle quickly to play.
Children confidently make choices about their play. Teachers are influenced by aspects of Reggio Emilia, a philosophical approach that focuses on children being encouraged to explore from a rich variety of resources and play settings. Teachers have created learning environments that are attractive and promote children’s imaginative play. The younger children in the centre have a secure space to play that recognises and caters for their stage of mobility. The older toddlers and children have larger spaces with a variety of different areas of play.
Children’s learning is skilfully supported through warm and trusting relationships with teachers. Teachers work closely with children, talking with them and encouraging their language and thinking. Teachers are highly responsive to children’s non-verbal gestures and body-language.
The children’s day is unhurried, calm and pleasant. Routines are minimal and mealtimes are flexible and shared. Children are invited to take part in listening to stories or to join others outdoors. Children are eager to cooperate with independent routines about caring for their own belongings.
The centre caters for whānau that come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, including Māori and Pacific. Teachers support each other to use te reo Māori in interactions with children and to follow appropriate tikanga. The supervisor and teachers are aware of the need to further develop their knowledge to support Māori and Pacific children and their whānau. A focus within the centre is to support young mothers to learn more about effective parenting.
Management of the centre is efficient and is supported by a framework of appropriate policies and procedures. The supervisor has successfully encouraged a sense of belonging and ownership amongst the staff. This supports shared leadership and recognises teachers’ individual strengths. Thorough induction processes promote this shared responsibility. Appraisal systems encourage teachers’ engagement in professional development to strengthen and update practices.
Self review is beginning to guide teachers’ thinking about their work with children. It could be strengthened to provide a clearer picture of the strategic direction of the centre, the steps to achievement and the outcomes for children. It could be useful for teachers to develop indicators to support the annual review of the centre philosophy. They could also explore ways to align the philosophy with the values of the Teen Parent Unit.
The centre is well poised to continue to provide good quality programmes for children, make progress and to maintain current influences on their work. They have identified the need for further whole centre professional development to support assessment and planning processes, and greater understanding about self review.
The supervisor and teachers have identified their intentions for improving aspects of their work. ERO agrees that, in order to further strengthen practices, teachers should:
Before the review, the staff and management of Eden Campus Early Learning Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Eden Campus Early Learning Centre will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
19 June 2015
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
|
Location |
Mt Eden, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10387 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
30 children, including up to 25 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
23 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 12 Girls 11 |
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|
Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Samoan Tongan Cook Island Māori Other |
7 5 4 2 2 3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:6 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
19 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
April 2012 |
|
|
Supplementary Review |
March 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
December 2007 |
ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.